“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” – Celebrating People, Life, and Music

Abstract

In preparing this journal issue of Approaches, the international communities of music therapy, musicology and music education bid farewell to two ‘giants’: Tony Wigram and Christopher Small respectively.

Tony Wigram (1953-2011) was instrumental in the development of music therapy worldwide. His contribution to a range of educational and research projects around the world played a catalytic role in the development of music therapy as a profession and discipline, while his extensive writing is a rich legacy for the future generations of music therapists (and others) (1). Paying homage to Wigram, this issue begins with a tribute to his life and work, written by Hanne Mette Ridder and Ulla Holck. On this occasion I would like to express my personal gratitude to Tony for his contribution to the field of music therapy, and convey his warmest greetings to the whole Greek music therapy community – something that he expressed in March 2011 when we met for the last time.

A few months after Wigram’s death, another ‘giant’ – this time from the field of musicology and music education – died: Christopher Small (1927- 2011). Small’s pioneering work, and particularly his influence in understanding music as an act, as something we do (something that he described with the use of the neologism musicking), has contributed significantly to the development of dialogues in a range of fields, including music therapy and special music education.

Small’s death coincided with the preparation of a number of articles for publication in Approaches that focus on the role of musicking in the field of music therapy and other related fields. This conjuncture of events led to the publication of a broader tribute with reference not only to the importance and applications of the concept of musicking, but also to Small’s life and wider work (2).

This tribute begins with two texts written by Danae Stefanou and Panagiotis Kanellopoulos who write about Small’s contribution to the fields of musicology and music education respectively. Drawing from their personal experience, each author presents through their own light the central role that Small played in changing the ways we understand music - highlighting at the same time the social, cultural and political dimensions of music.

Next comes Daniele Parziani’s article entitled Orchestral Conducting as Educational Practice: A Smallian Perspective of Relationships and Pedagogy in Youth Orchestras. The author, drawing from his experience as a conductor, focuses on the application of musicking and of Small’s theory in music education and particularly in conducting youth ensembles. The ideas presented here provide fertile questions and potential pathways for applications in other fields of practice, including those of special music education and music therapy. Some of these questions are raised in the Interlude that links the article of Parziani with the one that follows and with which the tribute to Small is completed.

This last article of the tribute focuses on the concept of musicking by studying the meanings of musical act in the construction of identities, as well as of music as health and therapy. This study follows an interdisciplinary perspective where new musicology meets music therapy. In this way, a systematic introduction of the term of musicking in Greek language (as ‘mousikotropia’), as well as in the respective (inter)disciplinary discourses is attempted.

Then three book reviews by Maria ApostoliadiLe Bouder, Kimberly McCord and Dimitris Sarris respectively, as well as two conference reports are presented: Theo Dimitriadis writes for the World Congress of Music Therapy (5-9 July 2011, South Korea), while Muriel Swijghuisen Reigersberg writes - through an ethnomusicological perspective - for the SEMPRE conference ‘Striking a Chord’; Music, Health and Wellbeing: Current Developments in Research and Practice (9-10 September 2011, UK).

This issue concludes with the translated abstracts of articles, as well as the standard sections: New International Publications and Upcoming Events.

In closing this editorial, I would like to quote a few words by Tony Wigram and Christopher Small, who - each one in his own way - highlighted through their work the power of music in human life:

You must never forget to believe in the power of music in our lives and as a therapy for people suffering from very severe mental and physical health challenges, who are even in despair (3) Tony Wigram

The fundamental nature and meaning of music lie not in objects, not in musical works at all, but in action, in what people do. It is only by understanding what people do as they take part in a musical act that we can hope to understand its nature and the function it fulfils in human life. Christopher Small

(1) For a collection of Wigram’s publications, see Wigram and Sutton (2011), as well as the archive of Aalborg University: http://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/tony-wigram%28b8606bb6-763c415b-bd4b-0b83df7f0db3%29/publications.html

Also, for an extensive tribute to Tony Wigram see the journal Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, issue 11(3), www.voices.no

(2) For a collection of essays about Small’s life and work, see https://public.me.com/robertwalser

References

Small, C. (1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press.

Wigram, T. (2011). Speech to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Retrieved on 16 October 2011, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpPLsULmFGA

Wigram, T. & Sutton, J. (2011). A dialogue with Prof. Tony Wigram. Considering music therapy research in a changing world: A review of publications and their related links with the development of the music therapy profession over 3 decades. British Journal of Music Therapy, 25(1), 8-31.

Suggested citation:

Tsiris, G. (2011). “Standing on the shoulders of giants” - Celebrating people, life, and music. Approaches: Music Therapy & Special Music Education, 3(2), 60-61. Retrieved from http://approaches.primarymusic.gr